In November 2024, an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce infected at least 89 people in 15 U.S. states. More than a third of those infected were hospitalized, and sadly, one person died. Victims ranged from young children to older adults, including a 9-year-old boy in Indiana who nearly died from kidney failure and a 57-year-old woman in Missouri who became very sick after eating lettuce at a funeral.
Why This Matters
Even though the outbreak was serious, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) never made a public announcement. According to an internal report, the FDA quietly closed the investigation in February 2025 without naming the source or the companies involved in growing or processing the contaminated lettuce.
What Happened?
The FDA said it didn’t release any information because by the time they identified the likely source, the bad lettuce was no longer being sold. Since they couldn’t give consumers clear advice—like avoiding a specific product or recalling it—they chose not to warn the public.
“There were no public communications related to this outbreak,” the FDA said. A spokesperson added that the agency only names companies when there is clear proof and a public health action can be taken.
What Experts Are Saying
Some experts disagree with the FDA’s decision to stay silent. Frank Yiannas, who was deputy commissioner of food policy at the FDA from 2018 to 2023, called the lack of transparency “disturbing.”
“It is disturbing that FDA hasn’t said anything more public or identified the name of a grower or processor,” Yiannas said.
Sandra Eskin, a food safety advocate and former Agriculture official, also criticized the FDA. “People have a right to know who’s selling contaminated products,” she said.
What’s Next?
The FDA’s ability to communicate about outbreaks may be affected by recent staffing cuts. The public engagement team that focused on food safety was mostly dismantled under President Donald Trump’s administration to reduce government size.
“We no longer have all the mechanisms in place to learn from those situations and prevent the next outbreak,” said Taryn Webb, who led the team before being laid off.
The administration also delayed a new federal rule that would require faster tracing and removal of contaminated food from shelves, saying the delay would help companies better comply.
For now, critics say the public remains in the dark and at risk.
